Best institutions to study Data Science
A program that focuses on the analysis of large scale data sources from the interdisciplinary perspectives of applied statistics, computer science, data storage, data representation, data modeling, mathematics, and statistics.
297 U.S. institutions graduated 11,020 Data Science students in 2024–25 (IPEDS). It is CIP 30.7001, a specialization of Data Science (CIP 30.70), and leads most directly to the Data Scientists occupation (BLS SOC 15-2051).
About Data Science programs
A program that focuses on the analysis of large scale data sources from the interdisciplinary perspectives of applied statistics, computer science, data storage, data representation, data modeling, mathematics, and statistics. Includes instruction in computer algorithms, computer programming, data management, data mining, information policy, information retrieval, mathematical modeling, quantitative analysis, statistics, trend spotting, and visual analytics.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP 2020).
The Data Science program offers a comprehensive education in the analysis of large-scale data from various interdisciplinary perspectives, including applied statistics, computer science, and mathematics. This program is designed for students interested in harnessing data to drive decision-making and innovation across multiple sectors. Students in this program will gain the skills necessary to manipulate and analyze data, making it ideal for those looking to pursue careers in data-driven fields.
Core coursework covers essential topics such as computer algorithms, data management, data mining, and visual analytics. Students will also learn to apply statistical methods and models to real-world data, enhancing their analytical capabilities.
Credentials awarded
What Data Science graduates earned in 2024–25, by award level (IPEDS completions).
- Master's degree6,760 graduates / yr · 118 institutions61%
- Bachelor's degree3,153 graduates / yr · 170 institutions29%
- Award of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic year471 graduates / yr · 27 institutions4.3%
- Postbaccalaureate certificate358 graduates / yr · 41 institutions3.2%
- Associate's degree137 graduates / yr · 21 institutions1.2%
- Post-master's certificate51 graduates / yr · 4 institutions0.5%
- Doctor's degree - research/scholarship41 graduates / yr · 10 institutions0.4%
- Award of at least 2 but less than 4 academic years29 graduates / yr · 1 institution0.3%
- Award of less than 12 weeks18 graduates / yr · 2 institutions0.2%
- Award of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years2 graduates / yr · 2 institutions0.0%
Graduates over time
Data Science completions reported to IPEDS each year, all award levels combined.
| Year | Graduates |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 264 |
| 2021 | 498 |
| 2022 | 2,184 |
| 2023 | 4,018 |
| 2024 | 7,169 |
| 2025 | 11,020 |
CIP 30.7001 was introduced in CIP 2020, so the series starts when institutions began reporting under the new code.
Top 50 institutions for Data Science, ranked by graduates
Graduates (IPEDS completions), 2024–25. Award levels show which credentials each institution confers in this specialization.
| # | Institution | Graduates / yr | Grad rate | Net price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eastern University Saint Davids, PAPrivate not-for-profitMaster'sPost-degree cert.Bachelor's | 914 | 54% | $25,146 |
| 2 | University of Wisconsin - Madison Madison, WIPublicBachelor'sAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic yearMaster's | 645 | 90% | — |
| 3 | University of North Texas Denton, TXPublicMaster'sBachelor'sPost-degree cert. | 372 | 61% | — |
| 4 | The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TXPublicMaster's | 338 | 89% | — |
| 5 | New York University New York, NYPrivate not-for-profitMaster'sBachelor'sDoctoral | 326 | 88% | $29,023 |
| 6 | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MIPublicBachelor'sMaster'sMaster's | 253 | 93% | — |
| 7 | San Jose State University San Jose, CAPublicMaster'sBachelor's | 252 | 69% | — |
| 8 | Saint Peter's University Jersey City, NJPrivate not-for-profitMaster'sBachelor's | 215 | 58% | $14,440 |
| 9 | New Jersey Institute of Technology Newark, NJPublicMaster'sBachelor'sDoctoral | 212 | 73% | — |
| 10 | Pennsylvania State University - Main Campus University Park, PAPublicBachelor's | 200 | 86% | — |
| 11 | Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FLPublicMaster'sBachelor's | 199 | 63% | — |
| 12 | Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NYPrivate not-for-profitMaster'sBachelor's | 195 | 96% | $15,315 |
| 13 | University of Maryland Global Campus Adelphi, MDPublicBachelor'sAward of at least 2 but less than 4 academic yearsMaster's | 174 | 33% | — |
| 14 | George Washington University Washington, DCPrivate not-for-profitMaster'sBachelor'sPost-degree cert. | 168 | 84% | $29,789 |
| 15 | DePaul University Chicago, ILPrivate not-for-profitMaster'sBachelor's | 166 | 68% | $28,141 |
| 16 | Bellevue University Bellevue, NEPrivate not-for-profitMaster'sBachelor's | 166 | 33% | $29,230 |
| 17 | University of Memphis Memphis, TNPublicMaster's | 157 | 51% | — |
| 18 | Stevens Institute of Technology Hoboken, NJPrivate not-for-profitMaster'sDoctoral | 153 | 87% | $34,827 |
| 19 | University of Phoenix - Arizona Phoenix, AZPrivate for-profitMaster'sBachelor's | 150 | 21% | $15,478 |
| 20 | Lewis University Romeoville, ILPrivate not-for-profitMaster'sBachelor'sPost-degree cert. | 149 | 67% | $17,632 |
| 21 | New England College Henniker, NHPrivate not-for-profitMaster's | 146 | 35% | $30,086 |
| 22 | University of Virginia - Main Campus Charlottesville, VAPublicMaster'sDoctoral | 143 | 96% | — |
| 23 | Maryville University of Saint Louis Saint Louis, MOPrivate not-for-profitMaster'sPost-degree cert.Bachelor'sAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic year | 142 | 66% | $24,921 |
| 24 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg, VAPublicBachelor's | 138 | 86% | — |
| 25 | University of Illinois Urbana - Champaign Champaign, ILPublicBachelor'sMaster's | 136 | 85% | — |
| 26 | Arizona State University Digital Immersion Scottsdale, AZPublicBachelor's | 133 | 0% | — |
| 27 | University of Arizona Tucson, AZPublicMaster'sBachelor'sPost-degree cert. | 132 | 68% | — |
| 28 | University of California - San Diego La Jolla, CAPublicMaster'sDoctoral | 122 | 86% | — |
| 29 | Worcester Polytechnic Institute Worcester, MAPrivate not-for-profitMaster'sBachelor'sDoctoralPost-degree cert. | 119 | 90% | $32,926 |
| 30 | Texas Tech University Lubbock, TXPublicMaster's | 119 | 69% | — |
| 31 | Drexel University Philadelphia, PAPrivate not-for-profitMaster'sBachelor'sPost-degree cert. | 105 | 78% | $36,004 |
| 32 | University at Albany Albany, NYPublicMaster's | 102 | 61% | — |
| 33 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZPublicBachelor's | 100 | 68% | — |
| 34 | Michigan Technological University Houghton, MIPublicMaster'sPost-degree cert. | 88 | 68% | — |
| 35 | Clarkson University Potsdam, NYPrivate not-for-profitMaster'sBachelor's | 86 | 75% | $27,281 |
| 36 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NCPublicBachelor's | 78 | 69% | — |
| 37 | Florida State University Tallahassee, FLPublicMaster's | 76 | 86% | — |
| 38 | University of Massachusetts - Amherst Amherst, MAPublicMaster'sPost-degree cert.Award of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic year | 75 | 83% | — |
| 39 | Bradley University Peoria, ILPrivate not-for-profitMaster's | 70 | 76% | $21,768 |
| 40 | University of the Pacific Stockton, CAPrivate not-for-profitMaster's | 68 | 69% | $23,964 |
| 41 | University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Minneapolis, MNPublicBachelor'sMaster'sPost-degree cert. | 68 | 85% | — |
| 42 | American University Washington, DCPrivate not-for-profitMaster'sBachelor'sAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic year | 67 | 75% | $30,225 |
| 43 | William & Mary Williamsburg, VAPublicBachelor's | 59 | 89% | — |
| 44 | University of Maryland - College Park College Park, MDPublicMaster's | 58 | 89% | — |
| 45 | Rice University Houston, TXPrivate not-for-profitMaster's | 57 | 95% | $13,264 |
| 46 | Kent State University at Kent Kent, OHPublicMaster's | 56 | 64% | — |
| 47 | Fordham University Bronx, NYPrivate not-for-profitMaster'sPost-degree cert. | 54 | 82% | $38,931 |
| 48 | University of Oregon Eugene, ORPublicBachelor's | 54 | 72% | — |
| 49 | The University of Texas at Dallas Richardson, TXPublicBachelor's | 54 | 76% | — |
| 50 | Duke University Durham, NCPrivate not-for-profitMaster's | 52 | 97% | $16,260 |
Offered in 45 states
Where Data Science graduates come from. Each state links to all Data Science programs offered there.
Careers & outlook
The payoff after graduation: occupation 15-2051, Data Scientists, and its national outlook.
Graduates of the Data Science program can expect to pursue careers as Data Scientists, Software Developers, or Computer and Information Systems Managers, among others. The job outlook is promising, with a growth rate of 33.5% and approximately 23,400 annual openings. The median wage for data science professionals is $112,590, typically requiring at least a Bachelor's degree.
Top-paying metros
Career pathways for CIP 30.7001
The occupations the NCES crosswalk maps this 6-digit code to, with BLS pay and 10-year outlook.
| Occupation | US median pay | Growth | Openings / yr | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Data Scientistsprimary SOC 15-2051 | $120,230 | +33.5% Much faster than average | ~23,400 | Bachelor's degree |
Software Developers SOC 15-1252 | $135,980 | +15.8% Much faster than average | ~115,200 | Bachelor's degree |
Computer and Information Systems Managers SOC 11-3021 | $175,140 | +15.2% Much faster than average | ~55,600 | Bachelor's degree |
Postsecondary Teachers, All Other SOC 25-1199 | $77,640 | +1.8% Little or no change | ~13,500 | Doctoral or professional degree |
Natural Sciences Managers SOC 11-9121 | $167,220 | +3.7% About as fast as average | ~8,500 | Bachelor's degree |
Database Architects SOC 15-1243 | $139,500 | +8.7% Much faster than average | ~4,000 | Bachelor's degree |
Computer and Information Research Scientists SOC 15-1221 | $140,300 | +19.7% Much faster than average | ~3,200 | Master's degree |
Statisticians SOC 15-2041 | $105,650 | +8.5% Much faster than average | ~2,000 | Master's degree |
Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
- Education
- Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
- Experience
- A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
- Training
- Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Related careers
Skills & knowledge in Data Science programs
From the U.S. Dept. of Labor for the occupation this specialization most leads to.
What graduates do on the job
- Analyze, manipulate, or process large sets of data using statistical software.
- Apply feature selection algorithms to models predicting outcomes of interest, such as sales, attrition, and healthcare use.
- Apply sampling techniques to determine groups to be surveyed or use complete enumeration methods.
- Clean and manipulate raw data using statistical software.
- Compare models using statistical performance metrics, such as loss functions or proportion of explained variance.
- Create graphs, charts, or other visualizations to convey the results of data analysis using specialized software.
Tools and technology used
Other Data Science specializations
The 1 other 6-digit CIP codes under Data Science (CIP 30.70).
Common questions
What degrees can I earn in this program?+
You can earn a Bachelor's degree, Master's degree, a postbaccalaureate certificate, or an award of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic year.
What skills will I develop?+
You will learn to analyze and manipulate large data sets, apply statistical methods, and utilize software for data management.
What is the job outlook for data science graduates?+
The job outlook is much faster than average, with a growth rate of 33.5% and around 23,400 annual job openings.
What is the average salary for data science professionals?+
The median wage for data science professionals is $112,590.
What is the CIP code for Data Science?+
Data Science is CIP 30.7001 in the NCES Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP 2020), a 6-digit specialization within Data Science (CIP 30.70). NCES defines it as: A program that focuses on the analysis of large scale data sources from the interdisciplinary perspectives of applied statistics, computer science, data storage, data representation, data modeling, mathematics, and statistics. Includes instruction in computer algorithms, computer programming, data management, data mining, information policy, information retrieval, mathematical modeling, quantitative analysis, statistics, trend spotting, and visual analytics.
How many institutions offer Data Science programs?+
297 U.S. institutions reported Data Science graduates in IPEDS 2024–25, across 45 states, awarding 11,020 credentials in the year. That is 99.2% of all Data Science graduates.
How much do Data Science graduates earn?+
Earnings are not published at the 6-digit CIP level by any federal source. The Data Scientists occupation, which Data Science most directly leads to, pays a median of $120,230 a year nationally (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About the data on this page
Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.
Program definitions are from the NCES Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP 2020). Skills, knowledge, abilities, work activities, tools, and job zones are from the O*NET database by the U.S. Department of Labor, used under the CC BY 4.0 license. This specialization accounts for nearly all Data Science graduates, so its figures match the Data Science program page.
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